Why does the New York Times say the chances of a "highly competitive" general election are "increasing"?

Mickey Kaus has a good catch about this New York Times article. The NYT says:

Democrats are expressing growing alarm about President Obama’s re-election prospects and, in interviews, are openly acknowledging anxiety about the White House’s ability to strengthen the president’s standing over the next 14 months.

Elected officials and party leaders at all levels said their worries have intensified as the economy has displayed new signs of weakness. They said the likelihood of a highly competitive 2012 race is increasing as the Republican field . . . has started narrowing to two leading candidates, Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, who have executive experience and messages built around job creation.

Does the Times' use of "increasing" there make sense? Would the sentence be any less true if the Times had said "decreasing" instead? Think about it . . .